If a structure is to be occupied when hurricane panels are installed, it is necessary to have at least one opening where the hurricane protection system can be secured and removed from inside the structure to allow egress. If this is not feasible in a particular installation, it may then require that one or more openings be left unprotected. Furthermore, it is preferable, and mandatory in most jurisdictions, to have at least one alternate means of egress from the structure. While other, more expensive hurricane protection systems, such as accordion shutters, can be opened and closed from inside the structure, the low-cost and widely preferred hurricane panels typically can only be attached and removed from outside of the structure.
In recent years, many local governments in hurricane prone regions have mandated in their building codes that all new structures must have hurricane protection. Some coastal counties have further mandated that all structures, new or existing, have hurricane protection installed. Furthermore, most insurance companies either require or offer significant discounts for the installation of hurricane protection. Of the many hurricane protection products available, hurricane shutter panels are the most affordable. With the proliferation of hurricane protection, more people will rely on their hurricane protection. As a result, fewer people will evacuate and more people will stay in their homes during a storm. The incidence of fires during power failures is much higher as a result of the use of lamps and candles. As more people stay in shuttered homes during hurricanes, it is likely that more people will need egress from their homes in an emergency. In fact, many local governments already require emergency egress from at least one opening in every bedroom. One major draw-back of hurricane panels is that they can usually only be installed and removed from the outside of a structure. Other systems for providing hurricane protection such as roll down and accordion shutters, and impact glass, which can be opened and closed from inside a building, are substantially more expensive than hurricane shutter panels.